Orders for people with celiac?

[Linds]

Is anyone familiar with traditional Catholic orders that are open to women with celiac disease? My case is severe to the point where I have to prepare food using separate utensils and dishes, so I recognize this may prevent me from living in community. Many orders have already gotten back to me that they can not accommodate....has anyone discerned with orders that have celiacs?

[St. Elizabeth Ann]

I don't have Celiac's, I'm only gluten intolerant, so I may not be that much help.  But all of the communities I've visited have been able to accommodate me (though contamination isn't a problem for me, so you will have to probably investigate more than I did on their preparation methods).  The Poor Clares at the Bethlehem Monastary in Virginia, the Nashville Dominicans, and the Daughters of the Virgin Mother have all been able to feed me without me getting sick.  I wish you the best and hope they can give you some more information!

[underatree]

Contact communities and mention it in your initial call/email. This is an “absolute dealbreaker” issue for you, so don’t waste time beating around the bush.

You can say a little about yourself/your discernment, your interest in their community, a couple of questions about the community/charism/apostolate if you have any, and then you can mention that although you are otherwise healthy (I assume), you do have celiac disease and need to follow a strictly gluten-free diet. You can even ask if they, or any other communities they know of, are able to accommodate a gluten-free diet. They may know, or know of, communities with one or multiple members on gluten-free diets. Or they might tell you no, and that you don’t have a vocation to their community. Oh well! At least that makes your discernment easy ☺️ Getting told no is part of the deal, especially for those of us with medical/dietary requirements. There will be religious communities that are insensitive to your needs; try not to take it personally, just cross it off your list.